Metallic lathing and concrete-reinforcing structure.



W. H. BURK.

METALLIC LATHING AND CONCRETE REINFORCING STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4. 1911.-

L 142,000, Patented July 20, 1915.

WILLIAM H. BURK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

METALLIC LATHIN'G AND CONCBETE-REINEORCING STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 11915.;

Application filed August 4 1911. Serial No. 642,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, WILLIAM H. BURK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Metallic Lathing and Concrete-Reinforcing Structures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a metallic lathing or concrete reinforce for structures, and my object is to providea cheap and substantial product of that character, free from the defects of existing forms of reticulated metal used for the same purposes.

My invention relates particularly to an improvement in metallic lathing or expanded metal for concrete slabs, roofs,outside walls, and light floors, though it may be used for furring, lathing and other purposes for which it is evidently adapted.

The particular improvements and advantages attained by my invention will more fully' appear in connection with the description of the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, in which drawings like parts are desig-' nated by like characters throughout the several views, and in which,

Figure 1 is a partial View of a sheet of reinforce of my invention looking at it from the ribbed side; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a partial view of a similar sheet of reinforce of my invention looking at it from the plane side; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the members welded together in the flat prior to the formation of the ribs; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66, Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the use of expanded or reticulated metal for lathing and furring and particularly for reinforcing concrete structures, it has been found, advisable to use stiffening ribs in order to provide adequate rigidity for the reinforce, which otherwise might be too flimsy for satisfactory use in such structures. These stiffening ribs have been formed in various ways; for example, by attaching ribs or sheet metal stays to the sheets of reinforce; and by forming up a portion of the sheet itself, usually left plain or unprovided with reticulations, into stiffening ribs -integral with the sheet. In either case the bond between the rib portion of the reinforce and the concrete or plastic medium in which it is embedded is poor in comparison with the bond of the reticulated portion.

When the sheet itself is struck up to form the rib, the resulting structure is still more or less flimsy, as the thin' sheet metal from which this form of reinforce is made is necessarilylacking in rigidity. Moreover, in this form of reinforce, though the transverse stiifness is increased, the resistance of the sheet to stresses tending to expand or contract it in a direction at right angles to the ribs is greatly diminished, and it is found that expansion and contraction due to temperature variations cause cracks in the concrete or plaster in the vicinity of the ribs, as the slight movements of the sheets are concentrated at these points.

In my improved form of metal reinforce shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sheet of reticulated metal 11, is struck up or ribbed at 12 in' parallel lines across the sheet transverse to the longitudinal axis of the mesh, to form inverted troughs. In these troughs sheet metal stiffening members 13 are positioned. The stiffening members 13 are provided with marginal flanges 14, and are securely attached to the reinforce by a series of welds 15 and 16 along the marginal flanges and vertices, respectively, of the stiffening members. This welding may be done by any means desired, but I prefer to use the process known as spot welding, in which the stiffening members and wire mesh are brought together between a series'of coop crating dies or rolls so formed that but small areas of the parts to be welded are brought in intimate contact with each other, and a welding current of electricity simultaneously passed through the contacting points. This process permits of the welds being formed very rapidly; in fact I find it possible to pass the material continuously through a machine provided with revolving rolls formed with welding contacts thereon,

shall be formed in the reticulated metal and that the stiffening members shall be shaped and inserted in said troughs before these members are welded together. Obviously, however, these members may be welded together while both are felt as illustrated in Fig. 5; in which case ,the reticulated metal and the stiffening members are subsequently corrugated simultaneously.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modified form of my invention, substantially identical with that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that narrow strips 17 are arranged at intervals across the open side of the stiffening member 13, and welded at the ends to the marginal flanges 14; thereof. These narrow strips 17 act as struts or braces to stiffen the sheet longitudinally, and prevent relative movement of the two side margins of the stiffening member with respect to each other, thus preventing the reinforced concrete or plaster from cracking along the ribs due to expansion and contraction of the reinforce.

My improved reinforcement provides a secure bond between the concrete or plaster and the stiffening rib, and at the same time the strength of the stiffening ribs is not diminished as is the case where the rib is reticulated, or deformed, to provide keys for the plastic material. Moreover, the r1g1d securing together of the reticulated metal and sheet metal reinforcing rib greatly stiifens the rib, and enables the use of lighter metal in the stiffening member, or a shallower rib, than is possible with the ordinary construc" tion. My improved form of reinforce is also cheaper to manufacture than the forms of ribbed reticulated sheet metal in which the rib is formed integral With the sheet, and is far more rigid and substantial in character.

I do not desire to be limited to the precise details of the process of manufacture used by me, nor to the exact forms of reinforce herein illustrated and described.

What I desire to claim as my invention is as follows:

1. A reinforce comprising a sheet of uniform reticulated metal struck up to form hollow ribs extending across the sheet in spaced parallel relationship, and separate stiffening members parallel with said ribs and rigidly and permanently secured within said hollow ribs to said reticulated metal.

2. A reinforce comprising a sheet of reticulated metal struck up to form hollow ribs traversing the sheet in spaced parallel relationship and separated by sections lying substantially in one plane, troughshaped stifl'ening members arranged within said hollow ribs, and rigidly attached thereto both along the median line and adjacent to the base portions thereof.

3. A reinforce comprisinga sheet of reticulated metal struck up to form hollow ribs traversing the sheet in spaced parallel relationship and separated by sections lying substantially in one plane, trough-shaped stiffening members arranged within said hollow ribs, and rigidly attached thereto along the median line and adjacent the base portions thereof, and braces spanning the open side of said stifiening members and rigidly attached thereto.

4. A reinforce comprising a sheet of uniform reticulated metal struck up to form hollow ribs traversing the sheet in spaced parallel relationship and separated by sections lying substantially in one plane, and separate trough-shaped stiffening members arranged longitudinally within said hollow ribs, and rigidly attached thereto.

5. A ribbed reticulated-metal concrete reinforce comprising parallel stiffening members U-shaped in cross section, and reticulated metal secured upon and rigidly attached to said stiffening members, said reticulated metal being struck up to completely cover the sides and tops of said stiffening members to form a continuous key for the concrete.

6. A ribbed reticulated-metal concrete reinforce comprising parallel stiffening bars having base flanges, and reticulated metal secured to said base flanges, said reticulated metal being struck up to completely cover the sides and tops of said stiffening bars.

7 A ribbed reticulated-metal concrete reinforce comprising parallel stiffening bars having base flanges, and reticulated metal secured to said base flanges, said reticulated metal being struck up to completely cover the sides and tops of said stiffening bars, and being rigidly attached thereto at points 110 intermediate the base fiamges.

8. A metallic structure comprising a sheet of expanded metal reticulated throughout its entire area and provided with a corrugation, and a stiffening rib ex 115 tending longitudinally in said corrugation and rigidly connected thereto, said connection comprising isolated welds along the margin of the stiffening rib.

9. A metallic structure comprising a sheet 120 of expanded metal provided with a corrugation and a reinforcing rib U-shaped in cross section arranged in said corrugation and rigidly connected thereto, said connection comprising isolated welds along the margin of the stiffening rib, and braces secured across the open side of the rib.

10. The process of forming a metallic reinforce which consists in welding flat strips of sheet metal to a sheet of reticulated metal and then crimping said sheet and said gitudinal corrugation medially of each strips simultaneously longitudinally of said strip.

strips. St. Louis, Mo., July 31, 1911.

11. The process of forming a metallic re- WILLIAM H. BURK. 5 inforce which consists in welding parallel Witnesses:

strips of sheet metal fiatwise to a flat sheet JAMES A. CARR,

of expanded metal and then forming a lon- ALBERT H. Cnorssan'r. 

